Scallop diving season about to start off of Maine coast

AP , WCSH7:14 AM. EST November 30, 2016

The state’s lucrative scallop fishery is suffering from a paucity of moorings that makes it difficult for Downeast scallopers to do their work. They’re concerned catch could suffer as a result. (Photo: AP via Portland Press Herald)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The season is about to begin for hearty souls who dive for scallops off Maine's coast.

The diver season begins Thursday. The season for scallop fishermen who harvest their quarry using dragger boats gets underway on Monday.

Most of the state's scallop catch is harvested by draggers, but dozens of divers also plunge into frigid waters to find the shellfish.

Maine's scallop harvest has been growing in value along with the climbing value of scallops nationwide. Maine's scallops were worth $12.70 per pound at the dock last year, which is the most in the state's history. Price to consumers has also gone up.

The volume of the state's harvest has been relatively steady, with divers and draggers bringing ashore more than 450,000 pounds of scallop meat for three straight years.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)